New Delhi: Taking cognisance of the incident at Nandigram that led to injury to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 10, 2021, the Election Commission of India removed IPS officer Vivek Sahay from the post of the Director Security and placed him under suspension immediately. “The charges must be framed against him within a week for grossly failing in discharge of his primary duty as Director Security to protect the Z+ protectee,” the ECI instructed.
The ECI had met today to discuss reports submitted by Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal and the joint report submitted by Special General Observer Ajay Nayak and Special Police Observer Vivek Dube on the incident at Nandigram. It perused the documents of CS’s report and that of Special Observers based on annexures of reports of DM, SP, Purba Medinipur and Returning Officer of 210 Nandigram Assembly Constituency, and other inputs of the facts and circumstances of the incident.
The ECI also stated that the Chief Secretary, in consultation with the Director General of Police, was authorised to post suitable Director Security immediately following the extant procedure. It directed the CS to communicate the posting order to the Commission latest by 1300 hours on March 15, 2021.
It further directed a Committee of Chief Secretary and DGP to identify within next three days the other proximate security personnel below Director Security, “who failed in their duties to prevent the incident and protect the Z+ protectee VVIP” and take suitable action for their failure under intimation to the Commission by 1700 hours on March 17, 2021.
The ECI also took the following decisions during the meeting:
- Smita Pandey, IAS, 2005 be posted immediately as DM and DEO, Purba Medinipur in place of Vibhu Goel, IAS, who shall be transferred to a non-election post.
- Pravin Prakash, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Purba Medinipur, shall also be placed under suspension immediately and charges shall be framed against him for major failure of bandobast.
- Sunil Kumar Yadav, IPS, be posted immediately as SP PurbaMedinipur in place of Pravin Prakash, IPS.
- Chief Secretary shall ensure that the investigation of Nandigram PS Case number 97/21 dated 11-03-2021 is completed and consequential action is taken as per law in next 15 days. Report in this regard shall be sent to the Commission by March 31, 2021.
Commission further directed that since the security of star campaigners further becomes far more sensitive during the election period because of additional criticality due to possible proximity with large crowds and sensational impact of any such incidence on law and order across state, established SoPs, including advance detailed programme, necessary permissions to hold rallies or road shows, deployment, use of bullet proof vehicle, if required as per security category of protectee, deployment on pre decided route(s), observance of provisions of The Motor Vehicle Act , etc should be followed scrupulously. Any deviation from approved programme should only be permitted after necessary approval(s).
With respect to the above, Commission also decided to issue instructions separately to the CEOs of all poll bound states/Union Territories to bring it to the notice of all Political Parties/ candidates, for strict compliance of the security of the star campaigners as per the category of protection and local threat assessment in accordance with extant rules /guidelines / SoPs.
In addition, Election Commission of India has also appointed Former DGP Intelligence Punjab, Anil Kumar Sharma (Retd. IPS 1984 Punjab Cadre) as Special Police Observer for the General Elections to Legislative Assembly of West Bengal. As Special Police Observer, Sharma would be the second Special Police Observer, in addition to Vivek Dube, to observe the conduct of elections in West Bengal.
– global bihari bureau
